Program Assistant - Admissions

Job Summary

Central Washington University is recruiting a Program Assistant to join our Admissions team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a competitive salary plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.  

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~8,300 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for seven out of eight years, CWU was a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. RentCafe has also named CWU #13 of the Top 20 Best College Towns in the U.S. in 2025. 

Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and LeaveandTotal Rewards Calculator. 

The Role:

This position evaluates student applicants for admissibility based upon the Higher Education Coordinating Board, university policies, and the evaluation and interpretation of academic transcripts. They are responsible for the creation, maintenance, storage space and dissemination of permanent application records. They will provide customer service to the public, students, faculty, and staff in response to inquiries regarding the admissions process. Admissions Employees directly affect the vision, mission, and values of Central Washington University by creating and promoting a welcoming environment where students, faculty, and staff feel supported and by promoting access and opportunity for all students. All employees are expected to uphold and contribute to CWU's vision, mission, and values, fostering a culture of student success and institutional excellence.

Job Duties

- Run admissions statistical reports and batch process reports. 

- Merge and print letters daily with CSV data files

- Open, sort, and disseminate incoming mail. 

- Perform other office duties such as filing (including quarterly file relocation), faxing, copying, and maintaining supplies.  

- Responsible for providing excellent customer service to prospective and current students, their parents and the general public.

- Interpret and apply policies and technical procedures regarding admissions, records, and billing receivables for student academic files. 

- Following university policies and procedures, process prospective, pre applicant, new and former student applications for admissions utilizing institutional software.

- Determine admissibility through review of Admissions Index, CADR's, GPA, and receipt of required documents. 

- Following HECB standards, determine if core requirements have been met for all incoming applicants through evaluation of high school and college transcripts.

- Calculate cumulative GPAs. 

- Prioritize workload. 

- Initiation and distribute appropriate correspondence daily to students. 

- Research and respond using problem solving skills to inquiries on the phone, in person, via email, and standard mail convening the application/admissions process.

- Each program assistant is responsible for roughly 3,500 prospective students.

- Utilizing institutional software, post online forfeiture changes to applicants for admissions deposits, in addition to making the financial adjustments for the amount of the forfeiture of deposit received to the account, 

- Remove student holds

- Calculate admissions indexes, matriculate;

- Update and maintain student checklists and process daily request for term and campus location changes.

- Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Increasingly responsible clerical experience
• Experience and/or training that demonstrates the ability to work effectively with internal and external clients and customers to identify their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems and/or satisfy their expectations by providing quality services.
• Demonstrated willingness and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Higher Education
• A record of promoting institutional excellence in the work environment. 
• Life experiences that demonstrate an ability to contribute to CWU's vision, mission, and values.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines, and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Belonging: Values the uniqueness of every individual and fosters an environment where everyone feels respected and empowered to thrive.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU, we're committed to creating a welcoming and genuine workplace. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. This could be the opportunity you're looking for!

Pay, Benefits, & Work Schedule

Salary: This position is based on the range 39 of the Washington State Classification Listing, which has a minimum annual salary of $41,940 and maximum annual salary of $55,836. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position. 

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer work station for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and LeaveandTotal Rewards Calculator. 

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.

How To Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the on-line application and attach:

• A detailed cover letter clearly demonstrating how your education and experience: (a) meet the required (and, as applicable, preferred) qualifications, and (b) demonstrate the ability to perform the responsibilities as described by the posting; 
• Resume including work history, education, training; and
• Contact information for three professional references.

Screening Begins: April 15, 2026

**Priority will be given to applications received by the screening date. Incomplete applications may not be considered.